1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game apparatus for controlling display of a game screen, a game display control method, and a storage medium containing a program for causing a computer to perform the game display control method.
2. Related Background Art
Role playing games (RPGs) are classified as one type of computer games. In ordinary RPGs, a player plays a role of a main character and plays a game toward a given objective while experiencing virtual adventures. In many RPGs, opposition characters (hereinafter called xe2x80x9cenemy charactersxe2x80x9d) hostile to the character controlled by the player (hereinafter called a xe2x80x9cplayer characterxe2x80x9d) are provided, and the player character combats the enemy characters who obstruct accomplishment of the objective, thereby developing a story.
In such RPGs, when the player moves the player character in the game on the screen and when contact between the player character and an enemy character occurs, the display is switched to a battle scene and a battle is started between the player and enemy characters in the battle scene.
In RPGs of this type, the positions of the player and enemy characters on the display screen in the battle scene are predetermined. For example, if the number of the player characters simultaneously involved in the battle are at most three, a set of three character positions are preset and the player characters are placed at the fixed positions in the battle scene, respectively. Thus, there is no surprise or unexpectedness as to the arrangement of the characters in battle, and the player may feel discontented at that point.
Having considered the above point, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus, a game display control method and a computer-readable storage medium that may control the arrangement of character images on a screen to increase amusement value of the game.
A game apparatus according to the present invention controls a battle between characters on a screen displayed on a display device. The apparatus comprises a detector for detecting contact between character images on a first screen; a situation determiner for determining a situation of the detected contact; an arrangement determiner for determining arrangement of the character images to be displayed on a second screen based on the situation; and a screen generator for generating the second screen in which the character images are displayed in the determined arrangement. The first screen may be a non-battle screen such as a movement screen, and the second screen may be a battle screen. The apparatus positions and displays the characters in the battle scene based on the contact situation between the characters.
A game display control method according to the present invention controls a battle between characters on a screen displayed on a display device. The method comprises detecting contact between character images on a first screen; determining a situation of the detected contact; determining arrangement of the character images to be displayed on a second screen based on the situation; and generating the second screen in which the character images are displayed in the determined arrangement. The first screen may be a non-battle screen such as a movement screen, and the second screen may be a battle screen. According to the method, the characters in the battle scene can be displayed based on the contact situation between the characters. Performing the method by a computer can provide effects similar to effects of the game apparatus described above. Therefore, hardware such as computers or the like can be utilized as the game apparatus in accordance with the invention by performing the method with the hardware.
A computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention stores a game program for controlling a battle between characters on a screen displayed on a display device. The program causes a computer or a game system to perform a process comprising detecting contact between character images on a first screen; determining a situation of the detected contact; determining arrangement of the character images to be displayed on a second screen based on the situation; and generating the second screen in which the character images are displayed in the determined arrangement. The first screen may be a non-battle screen such as a movement screen, and the second screen may be a battle screen. By use of the storage medium, the characters in the battle scene can be displayed based on the contact situation between the characters. The game apparatus in accordance with the present invention can be realized, in one embodiment, by executing the program stored in the storage medium on a suitable computer. Therefore, such storage media make it possible to distribute, license and/or sell the program easily as software products separately from hardware. When this software is used by suitable hardware such as computers or the like, the present invention can be implemented easily by the hardware.
A computer data signal according to the present invention is a signal which carries a game program for controlling a battle between characters on a screen displayed on a display device. The program causes a computer to perform a process comprising detecting contact between character images on a first screen; determining a situation of the detected contact; determining arrangement of the character images to be displayed on a second screen based on the situation; and generating the second screen in which the character images are displayed in the determined arrangement. The computer data signal may be compressed and/or encrypted. Use of the computer data signal permits the above program to be transferred to computers, whereby the characters in the battle scene can be displayed based on the contact situation between the characters.
A computer program product according to the present invention controls a battle between characters on a screen displayed on a display device. The computer program product comprises computer code for detecting contact between character images on a first screen; computer code for determining a situation of the detected contact; computer code for determining arrangement of the character images to be displayed on a second screen based on the situation; and computer code for generating the second screen in which the character images are displayed in the determined arrangement. By using the computer program product in a suitable computer system, the characters in the battle scene can be displayed based on the contact situation between the characters.